It is to be hoped that no real progress will made by the movement to change the venue for the 1940 Olympiad from Tokyo to Finland, and thet it will die a natural death. Sport should be Kept out of politics and politics out of sport. Of recent years it has developed along lines which have served greatly in bring {ing about international comprehension through a chunnd which had not up to then been ex-Plored, while political differences are so widely estranging various nations that it Is desirable that some bridge should be left across which there may still move the possibility of an even tual common understanding. For those reasons a concerted attempt to wrest the venue from Japan would have to be deplored. That does hot, however, preclude the sportsmen of the various countries, who would normally take part, from deciding themselves whether or not they will participate in the next Olympiad. That is a question solely within their compe-fence to decide, but, if that decision is arrived Eton purely politieat grounds, it will be Just as regrettable as any combined effort having the same end in view. The world is seeing so many of its activities drawn into the present maelstrom of hostility that care should be taken to see that every feature of life does not become Involved, Religious leaders hive entered the wordy fray and done, perhaps, more harm than food, especially when it is remembered that Feligion should be cheve these temporal struggles. "And for sport it might very well be urged {hat if its devotees are to take sides over matters which do not really come within its realm the increasing bitterness of to-day will only be intensified to no very useful purpose.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.